Amir Obe: An Interview to Be Remembered

Do you love authentic hip-hop that is like candy to your ears? Well, if so, then Amir Obe will surely not disappoint you. As a matter of fact, each song on his new mixtape “Detrooklyn” is a surefire club hit.

Born and raised in Detroit, this Michigan native is taking hip-hop by storm. With highly acclaimed producer NYLZ producing his latest mixtape, Amir has garnered a lot of media attention. He was even featured in prestigious magazines such as “Complex Magazine,” “HypeTrends,” and of course, yours truly, “Rude Boy Magazine.”

If that isn’t enough, his new single “Hennessy Breath” has almost 10,000 YouTube views. That’s pretty impressive for someone who is not signed to a major label yet. Take a look below at our interview with hip-hop’s next superstar Amir Obe and see what all the hype is about.

What new releases are coming up for you this year? Right now I am continuing the momentum from my last mixtape and I have a few videos that are going to be coming out. I got one dropping next week and I am going be shooting the next 2 videos probably within the next 2 weeks.

Where did you grow up? I actually grew up in Detroit but by the time I was in my mid-teens I was back and forth a lot in New York with my sister because I was thinking about going to art school (and she kind of showed me the ropes). But most of my life I was based in Detroit.

What was your big break that put you on the hip-hop radar? I’ve been doing music a lot so I had the cool grassroots following from the internet. They’ve always stuck around but at this point it’s really based on my recent material. I recently dropped a song called “Jay Z Kanye Esco,” followed with a video and in the end had a great response from editorials, like Complex and Hypetrend. Also my social media has been growing too.

Are you planning on locking into any major labels? Recently a few labels reached out, but I don’t want to really drop names. A few pretty big managers have also reached out, but I usually forward it to my team and they deal with that. There actually might be a few meetings coming up in the next few weeks and if we find a good situation we might pursue it. But we really are just looking for something that’s mutually beneficial at this point because we have a pretty good lane on the independent album route right now. If it comes along and we find a good label, we might pursue it though.

Can you sum up everything you’ve done so far as mixtapes and albums go? I basically put out 3 mixtapes. The most recent one being Detrooklyn and before that one I released one called No Assembly Required and another called The New Religion. I also made a few YouTube videos, but since my name change I’ve only put out one video.

What is thing that you think most people find intriguing about you? I think it’s a mixture of me being consistent online and the fact that I’m always growing as an artist. I would also say my style is an important factor. I’ve been in a few magazines and Instagram helps promote my style a lot. But most importantly I would like to credit my music.

Can you tell me a little bit about your hot new track “Hennessy Breath?” The track was really made to be relatable to people around my age because a lot of us drink. It started off as just a fun song but it turned into something great with the production and everything. So it sounds like a drunken record. Content wise it really is about the good and the bad in relationships. It probably is a song that a lot of young people can relate to. It also takes a glimpse into my past and present.

Are you planning on touring with any other artists? Yes that’s definitely the next step, especially after the momentum of my last mixtape. But I’m definitely looking for somebody good to go on tour with and that’s in the same lane with what I am doing. I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot.

What can we expect to see from you in the beginning of 2015? I definitely want to have an EP out before the end of the year, but I’ll see how the end of this year goes. I’ll also continue to elevate my craft.

What do you think are the biggest challenges in being an artist? My biggest challenge probably is getting the attention. I don’t have any problems recording music, but really it’s just getting the attention of people who can take my career to the next level.

Can you give us some information on your newest mixtape Detrooklyn? Well my producers and I worked on that mixtape for over a year and it tells a story from my beginnings as an artist up until now. I even put it out for free so people can really enjoy the project.

Being that you’re from Detroit, are you getting a lot of support from people outside of Detroit? In Detroit the love is real and I wish I could be there more. I would definitely say that in Detroit I have my biggest fan base.

Who is a part of your entourage? On the music side, I have a very small circle. It’s really just me and my producer NYLZ. He produces and engineers everything that I’m on. We actually work in only one studio in Detroit. Another person is my circle is Daniel Worthy. He is an amazing producer from Toronto.

Can you tell me about the other artists that you’re collaborating with as of now? I haven’t really collaborated with any artists but I have a lot of cool relationships with people. Hopefully soon I’ll work with a couple of them like PartyNextDoor. He’s been very successful and has been a long-time friend of mine. I also have a cool relationship with Big Sean’s people and have been working with them a lot.

Is there anything else that you would like to mention? I just want to say that I am currently working on a new project which will include a lot of visuals. So stay tuned!

And there we have it, hip-hop’s next big thing. Detrooklyn is available to download now on ITunes. Click on the link below to hear Amir’s hot new single “Hennessy Breath.”